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Wednesday, 9 July 2008

Faire is the Heaven

The anthem Faire is the Heaven, by William Henry Harris, is one of my favourite pieces of Anglican church music. Harris was comparatively recent, dying in 1973 at the age of 90, but never wrote a large catalogue. The anthem is scored for double choir, in the key of D flat major, and it's beautiful. The text, below, is by Edmund Spenser.

Faire is the Heaven Faire is the heaven where happy soules have placeIn full enjoyment of felicitie;Whence they do still behold the glorious faceOf the Divine, Eternall Majestie;

Yet farre more faire be those bright CherubinsWhich all with golden wings are overdight.And those eternall burning SeraphinsWhich from their faces dart out fiery light;

Yet fairer than they both and much more brightBe the Angels and ArchangelsWhich attend on God's owne person without rest or end.These then in faire each other farre excellingAs to the Highest they approach more neare,Yet is that Highest farre beyond all telling

Fairer than all the rest which there appeareThough all their beauties joynd together were;How then can mortal tongue hope to expresseThe image of such endlesse perfectnesse?Edmund Spenser

The file I've got is by Tenebrae, who are an absolutely stunning professional choir. The album's available on iTunes, and I strongly suggest you buy it, as all the tracks are either well-known or wonderful lesser-known works. As an ensemble the choir is incredibly precise and yet still very warm and sympathetic, bringing together the best things about larger and smaller choirs.